Jan. 3, 2010
Final Stats
Complete Stat Packet: Montana State 70, Idaho State 63 
Pocatello, ID --- With the shot clock winding down, Branden Johnson hit a three-pointer with 41.7 left to give Montana State a 67-63 lead, and then Erik Rush stole a pass at midcourt to seal the deal as Montana State broke open a tight game with six points in the final 41.7 seconds for a 70-63 win over Idaho State, giving both teams a split of conference weeks.
Johnson's three was the 10th of the game for Montana State, who hit 7-of-10 to open the contest, but just three after the opening 9:27 of the game. Idaho State had taken a 61-59 lead with Demetrius Monroe scoring on two free throws, his only points of the game, those with 4:32 go, but Montana State answered and took the lead for good when Bobby Howard converted a three-point play with 3:23 to go. Howard pushed the lead to 64-61 with a tip-in with 2:24 left, and Chron Tatum scored with 1:42 left to answer that and put ISU down just one.
From there it was all Montana State. The Bobcats ran the possession clock down and ISU forced a three in the corner from Johnson, who missed, but Howard skied and got the rebound, giving MSU a fresh 35, and then ISU again played solid defense, but Johnson got free and nailed his three from the left wing, making it 67-63 with 41.7 left. ISU tried to push the ball for a quick basket, but Broderick Gilchrest's pass was picked off by Erik Rush at midcourt, and MSU hit three free throws down the stretch to seal it.
The fact that ISU was even in a position late was a tricky proposition early, as Montana State bolted out to a 27-10 lead just 9:33 into the game, but the Bengals were able to work their way back into the ball game. Chron Tatum, who scored a season-high 15 points, started it with a tip-in, and then Amorrow Morgan and Tatum hit three-point plays to cut the lead down to nine. Austin Kilpatrick buried a pair of threes, and Broderick Gilchrest finally tied it with 4:04 to go on a layup, and he pushed it to 33-30 with a free throw and a basket.
MSU, who answered to retake the lead before half, pushed it back to 51-41 in the second half before ISU scored some sort of three on four straight possessions to take the lead again. Kilpatrick hit a three, Morgan got a three-point play, then Sherrod Baldwin hit his first three of the season, and Gilchrest ended it with a three-point play as well.
ISU eventually found themselves up five at 59-54 with 6:21 left, but MSU was able to outscore the Bengals 16-4 the rest of the way.
The loss put a damper on a great day for Amorrow Morgan, who scored 15 points to become the 19th Bengal to record 1,000 points. He added a career-best 13 rebounds for his first career double-double. Tatum added 15 along with Gilchrest. For Montana State, Bobby Howard scored 18 to lead the way, including the assist on the clinching bucket, and Danny Piepoli and Branden Johnson each had 13, with Will Bynum adding 10.
Idaho State badly outrebounded MSU 38-25, but MSU outshot ISU .431 to .423,a nd MSU had a whopping 29-11 advantage on points off turnovers. Idaho State now heads on the road to take on Northern Arizona at 6:07 pm on Thursday in a game broadcast on Fox College Sports, and Northern Colorado on Saturday night.
NOTES: Morgan now has 1,012 points and is 18th in career scoring at Idaho State ... the win was the first for MSU head coach Brad Huse in Holt Arena ... ISU missed a chance to sweep the Montanas at home in back-to-back years for the first time in 31 years ... Gilchrest tied a season-high with five assists but had six turnovers ...ISU hit 14-of-16 free throws.
